Final test: McLaren takes P1 hypercar to Death Valley, Willow Springs

McLaren brought its all-new 903-horsepower P1 hypercar to Death Valley and Willow Springs Raceway for some final hot-weather testing.

McLaren brought its all-new 903-horsepower P1 hypercar to Death Valley and Willow Springs Raceway for some final hot-weather testing.

David Undercoffler

September is a big month for supercar maker McLaren: not only is the company celebrating its 50th anniversary, but deliveries of its 903-horsepower P1 hypercar also kick off soon.

To highlight this, and under the guise of “final durability testing,” McLaren brought a Carbon Black P1 right into our own backyard. On the track at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, as well as throughout Death Valley, the British automaker “tested” the car with a full film crew tagging along.

The result are 10 gorgeous photos of the plug-in hybrid car, as well as a video in which you can hear just what makes the P1 so fast. That’s a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter V-8 engine and an electric motor making a combined total of 903 horsepower and 663 pound feet of torque, for those keeping score at home. This motor is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

How fast? McLaren says this rear-wheel-drive car will hit 62 mph in less than three seconds, 124 mph in less than seven seconds, and 184 mph will tick by in less than 17 seconds. All this while surging toward an electronically limited top speed of 217.5 mph, McLaren says.

McLaren will make just 375 copies of this P1, and the cars sell for about $1.15 million. If you missed your window to pick one up like we did, check out the gallery here.